Defensive vomiting?

Hey, guys. I'm pretty new here and it seems like a great place so far. I'm learning a lot about health! I'm still trying to quell the urges to purge and not eat but it's a process, eh?

I just have a question to ask you.
Is there such a thing as "defensive vomiting"?
I've only seen the one definition of it on the internet but it doesn't really apply to me. It doesn't happen when I over-eat after extreme dieting. I tend to throw up after I eat... well, I always thought it was a lot. But it's until I'm pretty full. Just an ordinary meal in an ordinary day. And I don't completely throw up but I do that whole lovely throwing up in the mouth thing and then have to go spit it out. It makes me really popular during lunch time. :/

This has been happening to me even before I got into the purging and not eating so I don't know what the deal is. But it's getting annoying.

So I just want to know if this is a legitimate thing and maybe somebody can tell me what could be causing it.

Oh, and my friend has said that it could be like when babies spit up. But I know as much about baby spit up as I do about defensive vomiting. hah.

In babies and toddlers this is called gastric reflux. It is caused by the tiny valve at the top of the stomach that lets the food in but is supposed to re-seal and not allow it to come back up, being immature and under-developed, More common in preemie babies.

Just as a thought (I don't purge nor have I ever done so) but wouldn't forcibly making yourself vomit damage that valve?

There's a condition called GERD where food comes back up.

This is a question for your doctor, really.  It does sound like it's a form of gastric reflux and, left untreated, that can go on to cause problems in the future.   So do make an appointment to see your doctor as soon as possible

Your symptoms sound similar to that of my mother's which was caused/related to a hyatel hernia.  You need to see a doctor as state by others.

Well, I guess I'll be seeing my doctor soon then. Even though I hate her. :/ Every time I go in there, no matter what for, she takes fifteen minutes to explain to me how fat I am and how horrible it is. Then I spend two hours crying. Buuuut this is something I do need checked out.

Thanks for the replies!

Original Post by vacuous:

Well, I guess I'll be seeing my doctor soon then. Even though I hate her. :/ Every time I go in there, no matter what for, she takes fifteen minutes to explain to me how fat I am and how horrible it is. Then I spend two hours crying. Buuuut this is something I do need checked out.

Thanks for the replies!

 Maybe it is time to look for a different doctor, although any good doctor will address your weight issues if you are obese.

But yes, see your doctor. The conditions mentioned above can also (if left untreated) be related to esophogeal cancer and though that would be well down the road for you (most likely, since you are young), you don't want to have an added risk fact when you could eliminate it with treatment. Best of luck.

Original Post by mkculs:

Original Post by vacuous:

Well, I guess I'll be seeing my doctor soon then. Even though I hate her. :/ Every time I go in there, no matter what for, she takes fifteen minutes to explain to me how fat I am and how horrible it is. Then I spend two hours crying. Buuuut this is something I do need checked out.

Thanks for the replies!

 Maybe it is time to look for a different doctor, although any good doctor will address your weight issues if you are obese.

But yes, see your doctor. The conditions mentioned above can also (if left untreated) be related to esophogeal cancer and though that would be well down the road for you (most likely, since you are young), you don't want to have an added risk fact when you could eliminate it with treatment. Best of luck.

She's the only doctor in this town covered by insurance, unfortunately. I would've left her long ago if she wasn't. I'm not expecting her to not address my weight issues. It'd just be nice if she didn't talk to me like being fat makes me stupid.

I honestly didn't know it was so serious. D: Thanks for the luck. I think I'll be needing it. 

Being overweight and/or a poor diet is a major contributory factor to gastric health issues.  If your doctor mentions your weight it's not because they're being nasty it's because it's affecting your health.  Mine told me for years that all the niggly health issues I went along with were down to me being fat... and I ignored them.  But when I lost weight they all miraculously cleared up... just as the doctor said they would.

Try to take what she says in that light rather than treating it as a personal insult.

You're right. I know I need to take what she says less personally since she's right in that I do need to lose a lot of pounds. It's probably just with the depression and the eating disorder that I'm really sensitive about my weight. Which is a bad thing to be if you ever need to talk to a doctor. hah. And I'm about to start crying now so I'll just stop talking. 

You can say that to a doctor....  that you find the subject of your weight upsetting.  Some don't have a terrifically natural beside manner (it's not in the job description) but if you're honest with them, they usually respond better than if they think they're being ignored or that you're holding back.  Talk about everything with your doctor... the depression, the eating disorder, the gastric problems ... the more complete a picture you can paint the more likely you'll be to get helpful & relevant advice.  If you just go along complaining about acid regurg in the throat ... that's all they'll treat.

http://www.righthealth.com/topic/Vocal_Cord_D ysfunction/overview/wiki_detailed?modp=%20Voc al%20cord%20dysfunction

I have Vocal Cord dysfunction & Hyper Sensitive Larynx (not a well know condition it has been around for a very long time known by different names. Since being diagnosed I went from hardly finding any information to finding a lot)

I am almost always vomiting or feeling like I need to, I often feel as if I have something in my throat.

Most of the time I just lose my voice or it is shaky whispery-loud, no control.

I can go awhile fine and suddenly without warning choke and vomit because without realizing it I can't catch my breath. Food / Drink are not required to experience this phenomenon.

My condition has become worse with age regardless of weight - health.

Eating has become more tricky-steak today is fine but tomorrow I cannot even handle a small lettuce salad! consisting of ...just lettuce.

Steam from tea, ice cream -too hot, too cold, too spicy etc., you name it anything at anytime can trigger this...no more pancakes EVERYTIME and then the chest pains.

Scents trigger-Scent Free can trigger no more salon 3yrs and counting, rarely leave the house anymore. Cigarettes, perfume, grass cutting,wind etc.

Perhaps what you call "defensive vomiting" is in a small way a true statement.

I best describe the condition like the Venus flytrap: insect irritates and the plant snaps shut-like the vocal cords do. As for regurgitating, it becomes a vicious cycle and I call it the domino effect-line-up the dominoes and tip- one throw up leads to many

I sometimes wake up if I am lucky enough to sleep (born insomniac)– choking, vomiting unable to regulate my breathing etc...hoping to resume sleep.

It took YEARS to be properly diagnosed, Otolaryngologist Cleveland Clinic approximately 3-4 yrs ago -my whole life I have lived with this and the only person to believe there was something "real" was my husband I am 41 -my husband has seen the gradual “minor” changes from something to is she going to survive scary minutes and occasionally hours and weeks where eating is a betting event Will she or wont she can she....

I am not saying this is what you have but something to consider, they put a camera up the nasal passage down the throat and exposed me to 3 different scents watching the vocal cords on camera live my husband could see the reactions-

My Primary doctor has seen me for 7 years, especially during this time I have gone from moderate to some of my worst times-he isn’t a witness except for the odd or nonexistent voice occasional small vomit, he still seems dubious and recently his office staff are being a little cool sometimes downright rude when I  or my husband request the door to remain open while I wait for the Dr.(with explanations) 30minutes not unusual to wait, he is very busy but the cleaning material stinks even through the mask,(for a year I have been wearing a mask,) fanning myself for air circulation and wearing a Personal Ionic Air Purifier. However during my appointment the door is shut.

Losing ones voice requires you to practice charades

Sorry for the lengthy post